Bomba personnel search for the missing sexagenarian Hadran Taep Taip near Miri Hospital today.
LAWAS (June 25): The family of a man who went missing since June 20 in Miri are appealing to the public, in particular Mirians, to help locate the sexagenarian.
According to Mohamad Hanafi Hadran, his father Hadran Taep Taip had gone missing at Miri Hospital at around 1.30pm.
“My father, who had just completed his surgery in Kuching, had gone to the Miri Hospital with my mother and sister for a follow-up post-surgery.
“After the follow-up, they went to the hospital’s pharmacy to collect his medication. Both my parents were sitting in the pharmacy while waiting for their number,” Hanafi said.
Hanafi said his mother went to the counter when their number was called, leaving his father sitting in his seat.
“After my mother collected the medication from the counter, my father was no longer at his seat,” he said.
Hanafi said his mother quickly searched for him but was nowhere to be found, and immediately told their other family members about the incident.
“I told my mother to search for him at the hospital first, as I was at work and could not come out,” he said.
The family were finally able to lodge a police report about the incident on June 21 around 1.30pm — 24 hours after his father was last seen.
“My father has severe dementia and also just had his surgery in Kuching. He has been missing for six days (counting today) and despite the effort our family, relatives, friends and colleagues have been doing since Day 1, my father has yet to be found.
“Therefore, we would like to appeal to the public to help us locate our father. Anyone with information or knows his whereabouts can contact me at 016-8535770 or go to the nearest police station,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to acting Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Zone 6 Miri chief Senior Superintendent II Ahmad Nizam Sapaiee in a statement, the search and rescue (SAR) operation was officially launched today after they received a report on the incident last night.
“Prior to the SAR team, we also deployed our men to help locate the victim. Our focus area for today’s SAR includes the area behind Miri Hospital and a radius of within two kilometres from the hospital,” said Ahmad Nizam.
He added apart from Bomba, Miri police were also involved in the SAR.